Page 52 of Worth Risking It

The question jarred me, sending a jolt to my system that emptied my lungs and stopped my heart. The center of my bones was now colder than the sand under my ass and the breeze on my face. Inch by inch, I turned my head to gawk.

“What do you mean?”

“She’s made you soft. I knew it, I knew it was a bad idea when Milo put you in charge of her. Frank should have been assigned to her. That man doesn’t have a caring gene in his body.”

My lids closed and I exhaled with relief. “It has nothing to do with Chazzy, I’ve just been thinking since Meyers died.”

“Well, stop it. Thinking like that ain’t safe in our lifestyle. Besides, the Shaw’s haven’t produced a daughter since like 1900, or something.”

“Nineteen oh four.”

“See? There ya go. No need to even waste time thinking things that can get you killed.”

Stiffening my muscles, I downed a good portion of the wine, a trail trickling down my chin.

“By the way, you really need to get on the ball, brother.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, Milo done shocked the hell out of every damn body and picked one piece of ass to live with forever.”

Again, my lids closed with a faint shake of my head, both offended that he referred to Chastity that way, and devastated that she would never be mine.

“You gotta find you a woman and get her pregnant. Time’s running out. Tradition.”

I offered him the bottle, but he refused, so I finished it off, my brain swirling with thoughts. Clearing my throat, I sucked the last traces of the booze from my teeth and muttered something that could never be taken back.

“I already got a woman.”

He patted me on the back of the shoulder and chuckled. “Atta boy. I bet she’s a looker, knowing you. She know what you’re about?”

“Mm hm.”

“So, when you getting her knocked up?”

My heart skipped with one of the craziest goddamn ideas I ever had. Twisting my waist, I looked up the hill for a moment, my breathing shallowing. I gulped and sat straight, tapping the empty glass to the sand. “Uh…ahem. She…she’s already pregnant, actually.”

“No shit? Man, that’s awesome. Good job, kid.”

He stood with a groan, so I did, as well.

“It’s cold as hell out here. Ready to head back in?”

“Uh…in…in a minute, man. I just want a few minutes alone.”

“All right. See you inside.”

“Oh, hey…um. Don’t…tell anyone about the baby just yet. I haven’t told no one yet.”

He flashed a smile, patted my shoulder with a firm squeeze, and winked. “No problem. Don’t sit out here too long. Mom and Dad are looking for you.”

I rolled my eyes and huffed, patting the bottle to my thigh. “I’ll be there in a minute.”

Chuckling, he pocketed his hands and strolled up the beach, disappearing into the shrubbery and trees.

I stared at the lake, wondering how I could make my plan into a reality. Somehow, I needed to convince Amanda to let me have her son before Jack could get rid of it. Then I could just tell everyone he’s mine, and never have to worry about getting some random chick knocked up.

As hard as I could, I flung the bottle into the lake, watching it fly through the air and plop into the water several yards away. Shoving my hands in my pockets, I backed away from the shore a few feet, turned, and headed up the hill for the house, adrenaline pumping through my veins.